 Hermann was well known as a place of safe refuge for fugitive slaves from the surrounding area, and often those fugitives settled at Little Africa surrounding the Loutre River.In July 2000 Cargill Pork, Inc.'s hog farm in Martinsburg, Missouri illegally discharged hog waste from its holding ponds into the Loutre River.The United States Environmental Protection Agency said the release occurred because of improper handling of waste management equipment by Cargill Pork, Inc., a subsidiary of Cargill.